Return of the Mount Hua Sect - Ch. 829

Chung Myung slowly opened his eyes.

What he could see was an unfamiliar ceiling with a faint light flickering from the lamp.

He lay there blankly, looking at the ceiling with a frown.

‘I am dreaming all the old memories again.’

He burst into laughter and got up with a groan.

Throb. Throb.

“Aiyaa…”

At that moment, a familiar yet unfamiliar pain surged through his body. It felt as though his entire body, including the upper body, was completely wrapped in bandages.

“No, what…”

When he touched his face, he realized that it was even covered in bandages. If the intention wasn’t to turn him into a jiangshi, it meant the wounds he suffered were that serious.

Chung Myung, who was laughing out loud, was about to take off the bandages.

“Hmm…”

“Eh?”

Chung Myung turned his head when he heard sleep talk coming from somewhere.

In a room lit by a small lamp, several people were curled up and asleep.

Jo Gul was on the ground, while Baek Cheon and Yoon Jong were leaning against the wall in the corner. Tang Soso and Yu Yiseol were sleeping side by side, sitting in front of his bed.

‘This is a sight I have seen before…’

Chung Myung scratched the back of his head.

It seemed like they couldn’t overcome the fatigue in their bodies and fell asleep after sticking around to take care of him.

It would be natural. Tang Soso must have been exhausted from treating the wounded along with Chung Myung while the others fought with him against Jang Ilso. The bodies of the Five Swords were also covered with bandages.

‘Foolish.’

Since they received the attacks of Jang Ilso from the front, they probably weren’t in the best health. Because that was what it meant to face such a warrior.

And yet, they were foolishly sleeping on cold floors.

Chung Myung glanced at the sleeping people, then got up. Just in case they woke up, he had to be careful.

“Kik.”

“Shh.”

Baek Ah raised her head at the sight of Chung Myung opening his mouth, and Chung Myung quickly put his index finger to his lips. Baek Ah understood, nodded a couple of times, ran over to him, and then jumped on top of his head.

Chung Myung quietly exited with Baek Ah perched on his head, closed the door, and looked outside.

‘It doesn’t seem to be a camp; it looks like they found some accommodation nearby.’

He glanced around the pavilion and headed towards the bushes ahead. After muffling his footsteps and venturing deep into the forest for a while, he found a suitable spot. Chung Myung sat down and gazed at the night sky.

The moon was unusually bright.

“Sigh…”

As he took a long breath and stood still, the face of Chung Mun he had seen in the dream came to mind. Chung Mun, overlapping with the moon, was looking down at Chung Myung, smiling.

“Don’t look at me like that,”

Chung Myung grumbled and pouted his lips.

“Ah, don’t look.”

However, seeing Chung Mun’s face still smiling, Chung Myung lay down on his back.

‘Euk! Aho… It hurts so bad.’

Chung Myung, whose face was distorted, ripped off the bandage wrapped around his face.

“This is embarrassing…”

A one-sided blow.

Of course, in his defense, there were many factors. But Chung Myung knew that nothing could be a proper excuse.

There was only one reason why all this happened.

Because he was weak.

Doing the best he could in the current situation?

That was just a weak thought. The important thing in becoming a warrior wasn’t about doing the best according to the situation but creating a situation in which one could win from the beginning.

‘Jang Ilso.’

Clack.

Chung Myung ground his teeth.

He did give him a blow in the end, but that wouldn’t relieve his anger. To put it bluntly, everything that happened in that canyon was under the planning of Jang Ilso.

‘If Chung Jin had seen me, he would have laughed endlessly.’

What he had to say was clear.

-Sahyung, I’ve told you repeatedly that war isn’t fought with just swords, right? Uh?

‘You are right.’

Chung Myung covered his face with one hand.

‘It isn’t enough.’

Everything was lacking.

If it had been Mount Hua of the past, it would have been possible to wipe out the Ten Thousand People Clan in one go.

But now Mount Hua was lacking everything. No, it wasn’t Mount Hua; it was something lacking in Chung Myung. In every way.

Unlike Chung Mun, he didn’t have the ability to lead people and unite them.

He didn’t have a brain as sharp as Chung Jin.

Even his strength was trivial compared to the Plum Blossom Sword Saint of the past.

If he had regained even half of his past strength, the aspect of war would have been completely different. And if his past strength had been entirely restored, the war would have been completely different.

The leadership ability to lead a sect.

The intellect to seize victory.

And the power to make the victory a reality.

The three most important elements in waging war are all lacking. Excuses, like he fell for a trick or was betrayed, were nothing more than excuses for his shortcomings.

No matter how foolish Heo Do was, if Chung Myung had brought the Mount Hua of the past, he would have overcome it without a problem. No, if this were a place like Mount Hua of the past, Venerable Heo Do wouldn’t have dared to do anything like this in front of them.

In the end, his shortcomings led to the defeat.

Chung Myung’s eyes were dark as they looked at the moon in the sky.

This wasn’t his first defeat.

Rather, they suffered countless defeats. Because that’s what war was. It was no exaggeration to say that the war against the Demonic Sect was the history of his defeat.

But the defeat he experienced this time was different from before.

Right now…

“Don’t laugh.”

Chung Myung, who was lost in thought, simply pouted as he looked at the smiling Chung Mun looking down at him.

He was getting wound up for no reason as he looked at Chung Mun, who was smiling, unaware of what others were thinking.

But what could they do?

The image of Chung Mun that lingered most strongly in his mind was that smiling face.

Chung Myung slowly closed his eyes.

“… it isn’t that he is lonely or anything. These idiots over there don’t give people a chance to be lonely. So it’s not like that…”

Chung Myung’s low mumble permeated the dark night landscape.

“It’s just like that. What if I hadn’t come back alone? Sahyung… and if Chung Jin and the sajaes had come back, it wouldn’t be the same now. No… even if not that…”

Chung Myung closed his mouth.

After hesitating for a long time, he parted his lips, unable to separate them.

“If sahyung had come instead of me, Mount Hua would have been better off than now. I didn’t know anything at first… I think I understand it now. I was being stupid, sahyung.”

When he opened his eyes again, Chung Mun’s face was still smiling.

“… for real.”

Chung Myung’s face suddenly contorted.

“People are harsh.”

When you looked at that face, you could not say anything weak.

Of course, Chung Myung also knew.

This was just an illusion. If they were watching Chung Myung from heaven, they would be lamenting that he couldn’t lead Mount Hua on his own.

“Just… I made some noise. If there was sahyung, he would have cried and cried, and if Chung Jin had been there, I would have at least scolded him. But… by myself. Right. Because I am alone, I just have nowhere to talk about this.”

The sound of insects crying came from somewhere.

“Kik.”

Baek Ah, clinging to his head the whole time, looked at him worriedly. Looking at those black eyes, Chung Myung chuckled. Then he tapped Baek Ah’s head with his index finger.

“I am not worried about you.”

A sigh escaped from Chung Myung’s mouth.

This was difficult.

It wasn’t that difficult to get much stronger than he was now. He just had to follow the path he took in the past, but that couldn’t be the case.

That was why he could not defeat the Heavenly Demon.

He must become much stronger than before. He had to reach a point where no comparison could be made. To do that, they had to take each step with certainty, even if it was slow.

So he felt nervous.

He was afraid that Mount Hua would collapse before he was done. He was afraid that the Heavenly Demon would show up before he was perfect.

As the days went by, instead of getting lighter, his shoulders felt heavier. Although the kids had grown compared to before, the pressure was becoming more intense each day.

“So strange.”

Chung Myung, who was lost in thought, scratched his head.

“Now that I think about it, I haven’t been like that lately, but I don’t know why I am thinking about the Sect Leader a lot these days. I guess it is because I got beaten up badly… despite not being a kid.”

Chung Myung chuckled.

“I understand. So don’t look at me like that. I am Chung Myung. I whine for today and will be fine tomorrow. Just… people need this kind of time.”

It was clear throughout the day, and the night sky looked clear, too, making the moon even clearer.

Chung Mun was a really strong person.

But at the same time, he was also a frustrating person. In the past, Chung Myung sometimes didn’t understand and found it frustrating that Chung Mun was so stubborn and upright in keeping to the standards.

But… he thought he understood it to some extent now.

‘Sahyung was so lonely, right?’

That was what it meant to be in the position of a leader.

No one could tell you whether you were walking on the right path. Since there was no one in front of you, you had to constantly ask, doubt, and agonize on your own.

And to Chung Mun, doubt and consultation must have been like a light that kept him and Mount Hua from heading down the wrong path.

He must have wanted to walk down the wrong path several times, but he must have suppressed his own desires. Not for himself but to lead those who believe in him and follow him on the right path.

It was only when he was in the same position as Chung Mun that he understood the difficulty and loneliness of the time.

That meant that even the past Chung Myung couldn’t fully understand Chung Mun.

How lonely his sahyung must have been?

Chung Myung, who was vaguely trying to understand what was happening, closed his eyes.

‘I am craving a drink.’

Where could he get alcohol…

It was then.

“Chung Myung!”

“Where did this bastard go again?”

“Find him, now! He might be drinking!”

“I will kill him!”

“…”

A loud noise broke the silence. Chung Myung sighed, looking in the direction of the sound.

‘Those fucking ghosts.’

It seemed like they discovered he was gone and came out in a hurry. Chung Myung flinched from all the curses and looked at the sky.

-See. Didn’t I tell you? I won’t be given a chance to be lonely. They are much better kids than I was.

Chung Myung got up.

“Tsk.”

After rubbing his butt, he grabbed Baek Ah, who was climbing up and put her on his shoulder, mumbling.

‘Don’t worry. Because I am strong, you can relax and watch. I will beat those bastards.’

It was the moment when he smiled to take a step ahead.

-Strength…

Chung Myung cast his gaze to the sky again.

-It isn’t strength if one doesn’t fall, but the strength to get up again even after falling is the best, Chung Myung.

That was what Chung Mun once told him.

Chung Mun’s face, which was looking down at Chung Myung along with the moon, began to disappear slowly. Chung Myung, who was looking at the scene blankly, soon had a calm smile on his lips.

“Such nagging.”

He straightened his back and looked ahead. His eyes showed much clearer determination than before.

It was okay if he wasn’t enough.

It was okay if it was not enough.

One could no longer fill a full bowl with water. Being lacking meant that one had more space to move forward.

Therefore…

Chung Myung walked toward the sahyungs, who were calling out his name at the top of their voices.

There was no further hesitation in his legs moving forward.